MURRIETA – In an exhilarating showdown on Friday, May 31, the Murrieta Mesa High School softball team triumphed over their Southwestern League rivals, Great Oak, with a final score of 6-3. This marks the Rams’ fourth victory against Great Oak this season, propelling them into the final game of the Division 1 – 2024 CIF SoCal Softball Championships. The much-anticipated final will see Murrieta Mesa face off against Del Norte on Saturday, June 1.
The Rams’ Southern Section run ended three weeks ago after a crushing 13-1 defeat to Orange Lutheran in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals. Despite expectations to withdraw from the CIF State regional playoffs, like a handful of other top teams, the Murrieta Mesa team voted unanimously to continue their journey.
Sophomore pitcher Lily Hauser, who struggled in the game against Orange Lutheran, made a remarkable comeback. “I did not want that game to be my final memory for this season,” she told the media afterwards, explaining why she voted to continue.
In Friday’s game, Great Oak struck first. Samantha Young walked to lead off the game, advanced to second on a ground out, and scored the first run on an error. However, Murrieta Mesa responded immediately. With the bases loaded and no outs, Danica Hobbs, Hauser, and Victoria Prado set the stage for Macy Clark to score two runs with a one-out single, giving the Rams a 2-1 lead.
Hauser further extended the lead with her ninth home run of the season, a powerful shot to center field in the third inning. Despite Great Oak pitcher Miali Gauchino’s efforts to escape a bases-loaded situation with three consecutive strikeouts, Hauser drove in another run in the fourth inning, followed by Kenzie Farrier’s sacrifice fly, making it 5-1.
Great Oak mounted a comeback in the fifth inning, with Jocelyn James scoring on an error and Gauchino’s RBI double reducing the deficit to 5-3. However, Murrieta Mesa added an insurance run in the sixth when Hauser singled and scored her third run on Farrier’s long single off the left-field fence.
Hauser’s performance was nothing short of spectacular. She threw a four-hitter with 10 strikeouts and went 4 for 4 at the plate, including a home run. This follows her recent outing where she pitched a two-hitter with 13 strikeouts and hit a three-run homer in the regional opener earlier in the week against Mater Dei.
Gauchino, Great Oak’s senior pitcher, who will be headed to Ole Miss later this summer, registered 12 strikeouts in her final high school game, demonstrating her powerful presence on the mound despite the loss.
With a record of 27-4, Murrieta Mesa now looks forward to hosting Del Norte (25-6) in the Division 1 SoCal Regional title game on Saturday at 4 p.m. The Rams will aim to capitalize on their momentum and secure the championship in front of a home crowd.
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